Automatic control for gas burners



Nov. 27, 1934.

.1. B. WILLIAMS 1,982,561 AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR GAS BURNERS Filed Feb. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l James 5 li/flx ams 'NVENTOR Ma. ATTORNEY Nov. 27, 1934. J. B. WILLIAMS AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR GAS BURNERS Filed Feb. 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F t 96 L l as 5 1| P & I

$99 W Jan/m5 WM/m/ms INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFmi:

1,982,561 AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOB. GAS BURNERS James Bernard Williams, Minden, La. Application February 19, 1934, Serial N0. 712,070

I 10 Claims. (01. 175-115) The expect of the invention is to provide a control for gas burners, whether employed for 11- lumination or for heating, so that when the supply of gas is once turned on, the burner may be automatically ignited and automatically reignited in the event of failure and a subsequent resumption of thegas supply; to provide an appliance of the kind indicated in which the gas supply is retained closed except the ignition apparatus be in operative condition; and generally to provide an automatic gas burner control which is of simple form, susceptible of cheap manufacture, and of a character making its installation possible without experience or skill on the part of the party making the installation.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:'

Figure 1 is a view partly in diagram and partly in section of a control appliance constructed in accordance with the invention. I

Figure 2-is a view similar to Figure 1 but of a modified form of the invention in which a pilot burner is incorporated as an element.

Figure 3 is a view partly in section and partly in diagram of a modified form of ignition and valve control.

The invention comprises a valve control member composed of a case comprising the base and cap sections 10 and 11 which are detachably connected by means of screws 12 passing through flanges 14 with which the two sections are peripherally formed; The base section 10 in com-' bination with a diaphragm 15 defines a gas pressure chamber 16 to which gas is admitted from a source of supply through a pipe 1'? which is threadedly connected with an inlet duct 18 with which the base member is formed, a port constituting the means of communication between the inlet duct and the pressure chamber. The base member is formed with an outlet duct 26, the burner supply pipe 21 being connected with this outlet duct and communicating with the burner 22. Communication between the pressure chamber and the outlet duct 20 is through a port 23, which is valve controlled, the valve 24 being provided for this purpose and having a stem 25 which telescopes the lower end of a post 26 secured to the diaphragm 15 at the center of the latter. A sliding connection is thus provided between the limited up and down movement of the latter with out any effect on the valve but when this movement exceeds a prescribed zone, the valve. is raised finger but which is electrically connected with a lug 32 on a plate 33 formed of insulating material. The contact 31 is complemental to the contact 34 carried at the outer end of a lever 35 pivotally mounted at 36' on the insulating plate 33. The lever 30 is limited to substantially horizontal position in any downward movement of the contact carrying end by reason of a bracket member 37- mounted on the insulating plate and having an abutment which the lever engages. A compres: sion spring 38 disposed between the extremity oi. the force arm of the lever and a terminal extremity of the plate 37 keeps thelever yieldingly in engagement with its stock. The contact 34 is electrically connected with 8. lug 39 mounted on the insulating plate 33. It is obvious, from this arrangement, that when the post 26 is elevated, it will bring its contact 31 into engagement with the contact 34, thus closing the circuit on the primary of the transformer 40 which is mounted on top of the cap member 10 to one side of the guide 29. The transformer 40 has its secondary connected with the primary of an ignition coil 41 and also connected with the winding of a solenoid 42 which is mounted on the top of the cap member 10 on the opposite side of the guide 29 from the transformer 40. .Thesolenoid constitutes the control means for a latch-operatively connected with the post 26 and to this end has its is uninfiuenced by the winding of the solenoid and subject to the pressure of the spring 46, which is of spiral form and disposed within the bore of the solenoid with one end bearing on the endof the plunger and the other end bearing on the inner face of one end of the solenoid bobbin.

One terminal of the secondary of the transformer 40 is grounded to the valve case as indicated at 47, so that the secondary of the ignition coil 41 may complete its circuit through the pip-v valve stem 25 and the post, so that there may be ing to the burner 22 which is provided with a The primary of the transformer 40, aside from being controlled by the circuit closer comprising the contacts 31 and 34, is also controlled by a thermostatic circuit closer 49 which is mounted on the burner and which, when closed, maintains its contacts 50 in engagement but which when heated, separates said contacts.

In the operation of the invention, the control valve from the source of supply and which controls the passage of gas through pipe 1'7, is turned on, thus admitting gas into the intake duct 18 from which it passes through the port 19 into the pressure chamber 16, the pressure bulging the diaphragm 15 upwardly, thus raising the post 26. But this upward movement of .the post is limited to a point which will prevent unseating of the valve 24, since the latch pin 44 will abut the low- .thence over the conductor 54 back to the source.

The primary of the transformer being energized, current is set up in its secondary and passes over the conductor 55 to one terminal of the primary of the ignition coil 41, thence over the conductor 56' to one terminal of the solenoid 42 and thence over the conductor 5'7 back to its source in the secondary of the transformer. The primary of the transformer and the solenoid 42 are thus energized and the core 43 of the latter will be drawn in to center itself in the solenoid winding and the latch pin 44 will be retracted from its position in the recess 45 of the post 26. Thus the gas pressure effective against the diaphragm 15 may further bulge the latter so as to unseat the valve 24, by reason of the pin 2'7 and its stemengaging the lower end of the slot 28 in the post. Thus.

gas can pass from the pressure chamber 16 into.

the outlet duct 20 and through the pim 21 to the burner. But the ignition coil has by this time been energized and a spark will be set up by its secondary at the electrode 48, current flowing over the conductor 58 to the electrode, thence to the burner and over the pipe .21 to the valve case, thence over the ground connection 4'7 and thence over the conductor 55 back to the secondary of the ignition coil, through the common binding post of the primary and secondary of the latter. After the burner 22 has been ignited the heat will be effective on the thermostatic circuit closer 49, resulting in it separating its contacts 50 and thus opening the circuit on the primary of the transformer 40. Therefore, the ignition coil which derives its energizing current from the secondary of the transformer and the solenoid which like- .wise derives its energizing current from the secondary of the transformer will be rendered inert.-

Thus the sparking at the electrode 48 will cease and the solenoid core 43 will be free of magnetic influence and left to the action of the spring 46, when the latch pin will be forced toward the post but the latter having the notch or recess 45 at this time above the horizontal plane of the latch pin, the latter will merely abut the post on its periphery. l

Should the gas supply fail, pressure will decline in the pressure chamber 16 and the diaphragm will spring back to its normalposition, thus lowering the post, when the latch pin will slide into the notch or recess 45. But with the lowering of the post, the valve 24 will find its way to its seat and thus close communication between the pressure chamber and the outlet duct 20, so that no gas may pass to the burner, except the previously described functionsbe carried out in the order recited. Should the thermostatic circuit closer not have closed by the time the gas supply is resumed, the valve 24 could not be opened, because the primary of the transformer 40 would not be closed by the engagement of the contacts 34 and 35, since these are in series with the thermostatic circuit closer. cuit closer re-engaged its contacts 50, however, the electric circuit would be established and the several parts would carry out their functions as As soon as the thermostatic c'irbefore described. If there should be failure of the electrical supply source, the apparatus would fail to operate, for the reason thatv the valve 24 could not be opened until the several electrical parts of the device were energized. In the event of failure of the ignition coil, the device would also fail to operate, since the primary of the ignition coil is connected in serieswith the latch release magnet andv if no circuit be established in the primary of the ignition coil, none could be established in the winding of the solenoid.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figure 2, the valve casing 10 is employed and the diaphragm 15 representing the yieldable wall of the pressure chamber 16 is also employed but the post 26 is modified at the lower end by being formed with a yoke portion 58' to engage the head 59 of the valve stem 60 to unseat the valve 61 after a limited upward movement of the post. The latch 62 employed is of the same general form as the latch 44, being spring'impelled toward the post for engagement in the recess 45 of the latter but being retracted by the movement ofan armature 63 pivotally mounted on the core of a magnet 64, the free end of the armature having a link connection 64 with the latch. The contacts 65 and 66 are brought into circuit closing position by the movement of the post and, in conjunction with the thermostatic circuit closer 6'7, control the circuit on the primary of the transformer 68, whose secondary is grounded at one side, with the other side connected to one terminal -of the primary of the ignition coil 69 and likewise connected with the contact '70 of the normally open thermostatic circuit closer '71 disposed on the pilot burner '72. The contact '73 of the thermostatic circuit closer '71 is connected with one terminal of the winding of the magnet 64, the other terminal of which is grounded. The pilot burner '72 is fed from a small tubularconductor '74 tapped in on the pipe '75 between the manual control valve '76 and the intake duct 18, the conductor 74 being provided with a manually adjustable valve '77 to initially regulate the volume of gas to be fed to the pilot burner 72.

On the valve '76 being moved to open position, gas enters the pressure chamber 16 through the pipe 15 and inlet duct 18, gas also passing to the pilot burner through the conductor '74. When the diaphragm 15 is bulged by the volume of gas in the pressure chamber '16, the upward movement of the post 26 engages the contacts 65 and 66, closing the circuit on the primary of the transformer 68, current flowing from the source over the conductor 78 to one contact of the thermostatic switch 6'7, thence through the other contact of the latterto the primary of the trans- 1,9aaue1 to the source. But energizing the primary sets up a current in the secondary of the transformer and this current passes over the conductor 81 to the primary of the ignition coil 69, thence to the ground 82 and thence over theground connection 83 back to the secondary. Energizing the primary of the ignition coil will set up a current in the secondary which will pass over the conductor 84 to the electrode 85 with which the pilot burner is equipped, thence over the tubular conductor 74 and back to the primary over the ground 82. Thus, the pilot burner will be ignited. But it cannot ignite the main burner 86, for, at this time, the valve 61 has not been unseated and will not be unseated until the pilot burner has burned a sufficient time to close the normally open thermostatic circuit closer 71. v When electrical connection is made between the contacts 70 and 73 of the thermostatic circuit closer 71, the magnet 69 will be thrown across the secondary of the transformer 68, current flowing from one terminal of the secondary over the conductor 87 to the contact 70, thence to the contact 73, thence over the conductor 88 to the winding of the magnet 64, thence to the ground 89 and back to the secondary over the ground connection 83. When the magnet 64 is energized, the latch 62 will be retracted, so that the post 26 may be elevated a sufiicient distance to unseat the valve 61, when gas will flow from the pressure chamber 16 to the burner 86 where it will be ignited by the pilot burner 72. After ignition of the main burner 86, the circuit closer 67 will be operated to be moved to open position, so as to open the circuit on the electrical supply source and thereby deprive the primary of the transformer 68 of current.

This form of the invention is fully automatic in the same respects as that form shown in Figure 1.

The modification shown in Figure 3 is substantiallyidentical with the form shown in Figure 1 but in this modification, the transformer and latch operating means are combinedinto a single unit comprising a double winding 90 consisting of a primary and secondary mounted on'a core 91 having a separable section 92 which functions as an armature and which moves toward thewmain body of the core when the winding is energized and which moves in the opposite direction when the winding is de-energized. The latch pin 93 for the post 94 is connected with the armature section 92 andis impelled toward the post by means of the spring, when the armature section is unattracted. The primary of the winding 90 is serially connected with the thermostatic, switch and the post actuated switch across the electrical supply source and the secondary of the winding is carried to the ignition coil. Except for combining the ignitiomcoil energizing means and the latch retracting means in a single unit, that form of the invention shown in Figure 3 is identical withthe form shown in Figure 1 and functions in precisely the same manner;

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. An appliance of the kind indicated comprising, in combination with a gas burner, a control member for the same embodying a gas pressure chamber, a valve controlling communication between the pressure chamber and the burner, ignition apparatus for igniting the burner, and a member responsive to the pressure in the pressure I chamber and successively controlling the operation of the ignition apparatus and the unseating of the valve.

2. An appliance of the kind indicated comprising, in combination with a gas burner, a control member for the same embodying a gas pressure chamber, a valve controlling communication between the pressure chamber and the burner, ignition apparatus for igniting the burner, a member responsive to the pressure in the pressure chamber and successively controlling the operation of the ignition apparatus and the unseating of the valve, and means arresting the said member after a prescribed movement to prevent unseating of the valve except the ignition apparatus be operated. 3. An appliance oi the kind indicated comprising, in combination with a gas burner, a control memberv for the same embodying a gas pressure chamber, a valve controlling communication between the pressure chamber and the burner, ignition apparatus for igniting the burner, a member responsive to the pressure in the pressure chamber and successively controlling the operation of the ignition apparatus and the unseating of the valve, and means obstructing said member at a point to preclude valve unseating movement, said means being operatively connected with the ignition apparatus to be moved out of such obstructing position after the operation of the ignition apparatus.

4. An appliance of the kind indicated comprising, in combination with a gas burner, a control member for the same embodying a gas pressure chamber, a valve controlling communication between the pressure chamber and the burner, ignition apparatus for igniting the burner, an energizing circuit for the ignition apparatus, a switch controlling said energizing circuit, and a member responsive to pressure in the pressure chamber to first. close said switch and thereafter unseat said valve.

. 5. An appliance of the kind indicated comprising, in combination with a gas burner, a control member for the same embodying a gas pressure chamber, a valve controlling communication between the pressure chamber and the burner, ignition apparatus for igniting the burner, an energizing circuit for the ignition apparatus, a burner carried switch, a second switch in series with the burner carried switch to control said energizing circuit, and a member responsive to pressure in the pressure chamber and successively closing the second said switch and unseating said valve.

6. An appliance of the kind indicated comprising, in combination with a gas burner, a control member for the same embodying a gas pressure hamber, a valve controlling communication between the pressure chamber and the burner, ignition apparatus for igniting the burner, an energizing circuit for the ignition apparatus, a switch controlling said energizing circuit, a member responsive to pressure in the pressure chamber to first close said switch and thereafter unseat said valve, and a latch arresting said member after switch closing movement but prior to valve opening movement, said latch being provided with ,one wall'of the pressure chamber, a post mounted on the diaphragm and successively actuating the ignition apparatus and unseating the valve, and a latch limiting the movement of the post to operation 01 the ignition apparatus, the latch being provided with retracting means operatively connected with the ignition apparatus.

9..An appliance oi the kind indicated comprising, in combination with a gas burner, a control member m the same embodying a gas pressure chamber anda diaphragm constituting a yielding wall for said pressure chamber, a valve controlling communication between the pressure chamber and the burner, ignition apparatus for igniting the burner, an energizing circuitior the 7 ignition apparatus, a circuit closer in the energizing circuit, and a post carried by the diaphragm and operatively connected with the circuit closer and the valve to first operate the former and thereafter unseat the latter.

10. An appliance of the kind indicated comprising, in combination with a gas burner, a control member for the same embodying a gas pres sure chamber and a yielding diaphragm constituting one wall of the pressure chamber, a valve controlling communication between the pressure chamber and the burner, ignition apparatus for igniting the burner, an energizing circuit for the ignition apparatus, a plurality of serially connected switches controlling the energizing circuit, one of said switches being thermostatic and burner mounted to move to open position on ignition of the burner, a post connected with the diaphragm for moving the other of said switches to circuit closing position, said post being operatively connected with the valve to unseat the latter following the closing of said switch, and a latch engageable with the post to limit itsmovement to the switch closing function, the latch being provided with retracting means operatively connected with the ignition apparatus to release the latch after the ignition apparatus is rendered operative.

JAMES BERNARD WILLIAMS. 

